Co-presidents Emma Robertson and Olivia Beausoleil reflect on the growth the Indigenous Student Athlete Council has experienced along with its potential future

A group of McMaster student-athletes are making strides in their sports while also working to foster inclusivity and representation for Indigenous student-athletes. The Indigenous Student Athlete Council has created a place for Indigenous student athletes to build community and increase visibility within the McMaster community.

Co-presidents Emma Robertson and Olivia Beausoleil both created ISAC and built it into what it is today. Both are student athletes themselves; Robertson is a part of McMaster’s cheer team, while Beausoleil is on the women’s football team.

“Athletics and Recreation had the idea [for an Indigenous student athlete council] and Emma and I had both reached out with interest in getting involved in it. So collectively Emma and I sort of got it off the ground,” said Beausoleil.

ISAC’s core goals are to provide a space to advocate for Indigenous student athletes at McMaster, provide Indigenous student athletes a safe community and increase representation and visibility of Indigenous student athletes. 

“With ISAC, we’re looking to really increase the inclusivity of Indigenous student-athletes within athletics and recreation at McMaster and advocate for the interests of Indigenous student-athletes,” said Robertson.

With ISAC, we’re looking to really increase the inclusivity of Indigenous student athletes within athletics and recreation at McMaster and advocate for the interests of Indigenous student athletes.

Emma Robertson, Co-president
McMaster Indigenous Student Athlete Council

One aspect of the council that has been especially meaningful is that it has acted as a space to share personal experiences and stories through their meetings. This provides a platform for  Indigenous student-athletes to connect and build community with one another

“Even just hearing each other’s stories, sometimes our meetings even get a little off topic, but hearing personal stories as an Indigenous athlete is interesting and being able to share them myself is interesting,” said Beausoleil.

The council began just two years ago. Since then it has been able to grow and improve in meeting its goals. They have been able to increase their outreach and have achieved a greater overall presence throughout the beginning of the fall semester. 

“One thing we’re looking to do is really grow the council and get more members or visibility on campus. So even at the start of this year, having a presence at welcome week or student orientations has been great. We’ve met some first year Indigenous student athletes so we’re hoping to have a new meeting soon to invite and welcome some potential new members,” said Robertson.

Along with growing in visibility, the council has grown its connections with other groups in McMaster’s student-athlete landscape. Groups like McMaster’s Black Student- Athlete Council, the Women’s Athletic Leadership Committee and the LGBTQ2SIA+ Athletic Advocacy Group along with the Indigenous Student Athlete Council all aim to provide support for marginalized student-athletes at McMaster. These groups have also served as a model for the Indigenous Student Athlete council as they have worked to build themselves up.

“This year we’ve been connecting more with the leaders of other student groups. This has been helpful to see what challenges they’ve had and things they’ve succeeded in and how we can work together,” said Robertson. 

One of the ISAC’s biggest events is its Orange Shirt Day event. Orange Shirt Day aims to recognize the tragedies of the residential school system and the Indigenous children who were taken from their families. 

This year the council is holding its Orange Shirt Day event on Sept. 28. This event will be hosted during the men’s and women’s soccer and rugby games at Ron Joyce Stadium. It will take place from 12:00 p.m. when women’s soccer kicks off against Algoma University, until 8:00 p.m. when men’s rugby kicks off against Western University. 

“So right now our event is on Sept. 28. With the women’s and men’s soccer and rugby games. We have a couple different things going on there. We’re going to be selling orange shirts there, we have different Indigenous vendors who are going to be present on the concourse selling things. We may or may not have a singing group coming as well,” said Robertson.

This will be the council’s second year in a row running an Orange Shirt Day event during a McMaster sports event. With a year under their belt, the council has been able to grow this event and get more people involved.

“Last year when we started, the council didn’t really start until the beginning of September, so it was a lot more last minute and a bit crazier. But this year, we started meeting and planning things out earlier in the summer, so it’s been nice to have more time to do that. We’ve also been able to reach out to other Indigenous student services and the Indigenous studies department and have been working with some of the staff there to coordinate with other things going on with truth and reconciliation on campus, as well as getting help and support from them has been great,” said Robertson. 

As Orange Shirt Day approaches, the council’s co-presidents also hope to create a long lasting space for the coming years. Gaining new members has been a challenge for the council, but Robertson and Beausoleil have worked tirelessly to keep the council running.

“Just building the council is important. There are currently only four of us on the council, but a lot of us are in our final year here. So, being able to make sure we have some members to carry forth the council in the coming years so it doesn’t die off just as we’ve gotten it going,” said Olivia Beausoleil.

Just building the council is important. There are currently only four of us on the council, but a lot of us are in our final year here. So, being able to make sure we have some members to carry forth the council in the coming years so it doesn’t die off just as we’ve gotten it going.

Olivia Beausoleil, Co-president
McMaster Indigenous Student Athlete Council

With its continued growth and refinement, the council hopes to be a strong and supportive space for Indigenous student-athletes at McMaster. 

Following the 2020 report, the Black Student Athlete Council provides avenues to foster conversation and encourage McMaster to improve supports for Black athletes

In 2020, a report titled “A Systemic Review of the Black Student-Athlete Experience and the McMaster Athletics Climate” was released, highlighting the issues that Black student athletes, coaches and staff had experienced within the McMaster University Athletics and Recreation department. The report also made recommendations to the department to address these issues, based on numerous interviews with athletes, coaches and staff involved in McMaster Athletics and Recreation.

In October 2020, McMaster released a follow up report titled “Taking Action on the Recommendations In A Systemic Review of the Black Student-Athlete Experience and the McMaster Athletics Climate.” This second report highlighted the main priorities for the university's action plan to address the issues within the department. These priorities included increasing representation within the department, creating a culture of accountability, developing targeted supports, scholarships and advocacy roles as well as mechanisms for training and education.

One of the outlined mechanisms for creating a culture of accountability was the creation of a Black Student Athlete Council. The BSAC is a student-run organization that aims to support student athletes who identify as Black, Indigenous and persons of colour.

"Our main goal is to foster community within the McMaster community and BIPOC athletes. Secondly, and very close to our main goal, is to be the liaison between athletes and the athletics department,” said Osa Olaye, one of BSAC's co-presidents.

Our main goal is to foster community within the McMaster community and BIPOC athletes. Secondly, and very close to our main goal, is to be the liaison between athletes and the athletics department.

Osa Olaye, fourth-year rugby player and co-president of the Black Student-Athlete Council

The council intended to foster discussion between athletes and McMaster, allowing for the needs of BIPOC athletes to be communicated directly to the administration.

As part of this, climate surveys and progress review focus groups have been set up by the athletics department to provide open and updated communication between them and student athletes.

These events and surveys include racialized and non-racialized groups and help any groups that face collective barriers.

“The climate survey and progress review is not just race-focused. It's for any equity deserving group. It asks what are we [the department] doing wrong and what ideas do you [individuals in the focus group] have,” said Olaye.

These avenues for communication seem to allow the university more access to student’s thoughts and needs. They open a discourse for changes to occur before things become too extreme.

“I think that the climate surveys and quality control checks are so important to know where we stand, because at the end of the day, the institution won’t know where we stand until someone tells them there's a problem. Then we can hold them accountable after they know there is a problem,” said Olaye.

I think that the climate surveys and quality control checks are so important to know where we stand, because at the end of the day, the institution won’t know where we stand until someone tells them there's a problem. Then we can hold them accountable after they know there is a problem.

Osa Olaye, fourth-year rugby player and co-president of the Black Student-Athlete Council

As the BSAC continues to support opportunities for conversations with the department of athletics and recreation, more avenues for further change will hopefully follow suit.